Glen Echo in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, May 7, 2010
1. Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest Marker
Inscription.
Glen Echo Civil Rights Protest. . On June 30, 1960 African Americans Gwendolyn Greene (Britt), William Griffin, Michael Proctor, Marvous Saunders and Cecil Washington Jr. were arrested when they attempted to ride Glen Echo Park's Dentzel Carousel and were charged with trespassing on private property. Part of a college-based civil rights group called the Non-violent Action Group (N. A. G.), the five sit-in demonstrators were protesting the long-standing segregation policies of the privately-owned amusement park. A summer-long picketing campaign followed the arrests. The campaign involved citizens of all ages and backgrounds. The neighboring community of Bannockburn joined the picketing and provided particularly strong support. The protestors achieved success when the park opened on a fully-integrated basis on March 31, 1961.
On June 30, 1960 African Americans Gwendolyn Greene (Britt), William Griffin, Michael Proctor, Marvous Saunders and Cecil Washington Jr. were arrested when they attempted to ride Glen Echo Park's Dentzel Carousel and were charged with trespassing on private property. Part of a college-based civil rights group called the Non-violent Action Group (N. A. G.), the five sit-in demonstrators were protesting the long-standing segregation policies of the privately-owned amusement park.
A summer-long picketing campaign followed the arrests. The campaign involved citizens of all ages and backgrounds. The neighboring community of Bannockburn joined the picketing and provided particularly strong support. The protestors achieved success when the park opened on a fully-integrated basis on March 31, 1961.
Erected 2008 by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Entertainment. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1961.
Location. 38° 57.974′ N, 77° 8.318′ W. Marker is in Glen Echo, Maryland, in Montgomery County. Marker can be reached from MacArthur Boulevard, 0.2 miles south of Goldsboro Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo MD 20812, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2010, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,300 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 8, 2010, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. 3. submitted on July 19, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
